5 takeaways from Sixers’ preseason opener: Defense is going to be a challenge, especially without Joel Embiid on the floor
Obviously, without Ben Simmons, the Sixers defense might take a hit. It’d be strange if replacing the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up wasn’t a challenge. But the Sixers might need to make some schematic adjustments from last season to make up for their lack of quality guard and wing defense.
The Raptors were able to blow by almost every Sixer on the perimeter at will. Only Matisse Thybulle put up any sort of legitimate resistance defensively — even normally-sound defender Danny Green got blown by a few times, most notably when Scottie Barnes toasted him for an uncontested one-handed slam.
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With Embiid on the floor, some of the team’s defensive personnel difficulties can be masked because of how good he is at anchoring the paint and deterring opponents when they drive. Any other Sixers center, though? They won’t be nearly as effective.
Andre Drummond has the size to anchor a defense, but hasn’t demonstrated the consistent effort and intensity during his time in Detroit, Cleveland, and Los Angeles to suggest that he could be a reliable option. All of the team’s other options are undersized (Georges Niang) or inexperienced (Paul Reed, Charles Bassey).
With Embiid off the floor, it might benefit the Sixers to play some drop coverage — as hated as that term became near the end of Brett Brown’s tenure — just to ensure that someone is in the paint when one of the team’s poor perimeter defenders gets blown by.